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What is puberty?
Puberty is the time when your body changes and becomes more like an adult.
When does puberty start?
It is normal for changes to start as early as 8 years old or as late as 13 years old. Puberty starts when your brain sends signals to certain parts of the body to start growing and changing. These signals are called hormones. Hormones are chemicals that control body functions.

What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus. Like all viruses, HPV causes infection by entering cells. Once inside a cell, HPV takes control of the cell’s internal machinery and uses it to make copies of itself. These copies then infect other nearby cells.

Especially For Teens
What are some of the benefits of playing sports? What health problems should I be aware of if I play sports? What is disordered eating? What is the female athlete triad? What causes the female athlete triad? What are the symptoms of the female athlete triad? What changes in my period should I be concerned about? What is low bone mass? Can these health problems cause permanent damage? Who can I talk to if I am concerned that playing sports is harming my health? How can sports-related health problems be treated? What can I d...

When should I have my first gynecologic visit?
An obstetrician–gynecologist (ob–gyn) is a doctor who specializes in the health care of women. Girls should have their first gynecologic visit between the ages of 13 years and 15 years.

How can the media make me feel bad about my body?
Images of what the media believes are “ideal” women are everywhere—on TV, in movies, online, in magazines, in ads, and in video games. You may begin to believe that these images show what is normal. But the weights and body types of women you see in the media are not normal. Only about 5% of American women have the genetics to make it possible to look like these images. For most people, trying to look like these images can be unhealthy. It can cause depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem.
It’s hard not to compare how you look ...

What does “LGBT” stand for?
“LGBT” is an abbreviation for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.” These terms describe a person’s sexual orientation—a person’s emotional or sexual attraction to other people:
• “Gay” describes a person (either male or female) who is attracted to people of the same sex.
• “Straight” describes a person (either male or female) who is attracted to people of the opposite sex.
• A “lesbian” is a female who is attracted to other females.
• “Bisexual” describes a person (either male or female) who is attracted to people of both sexes.

What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus. Like all viruses, HPV causes infection by entering cells. Once inside a cell, HPV takes control of the cell’s internal machinery and uses it to make copies of itself. These copies then infect other nearby cells.

What happens during puberty?
When puberty starts, your brain sends signals to certain parts of the body to start growing and changing. These signals are called hormones. Hormones make your body change and start looking more like an adult’s (see FAQ041 “Your Changing Body—Especially for Teens”). Hormones also can cause emotional changes.

What is puberty?
Puberty is a time when your body begins to change to become more like an adult’s. Starting your menstrual period is one of these changes.
What is a menstrual period?
When puberty begins, your brain signals your body to produce hormones. Some of these hormones prepare your body each month for a possible pregnancy. This is called the menstrual cycle. Hormones cause the lining of the uterus to become thicker with extra blood and tissue. One of your ovaries then releases an egg. This is called ovulation. The egg moves down one of the two fallopian tubes toward the uterus.
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